Gas compressor

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for compressing gases, wherein a gas is compressed in a continuous flow centrifuge provided with cooling. The gas enters said centrifuge near axis of rotation, and leaves near axis of rotation, thus providing for low work input to the compressor. Gas to be compressed may be air, and the coolant may be water. Leaving gas after compression will have lower temperature than at compressor entry.

I United States Patent [1 1 [111 3,793,848

Eskeli Feb. 26, 1974 [5 GAS COMPRESSOR 3,686,893 8/1972 Edwards .62/402[76] In entor: Michael skel 0 Orchid Ln, 2,959,025 11/1960 Morrison62/402 Dallas, Tex. 75230 Primary ExaminerWilliam J. Wye [22] Filed:Nov. 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 309,909 [57] ABSTRACT A method andapparatus for compressing gases, [2%] 1.1.8.81. 62l glz2gd7g/(8lgwherein a gas is compressed in a continuous flow 'l 86 87 trifugeprovided with cooling. The gas enters said cen- 0 earc l trifuge nearaxis of rotation, and leaves near axis of rotation, thus providing forlow work input to the [56] References Clted compressor. Gas to becompressed may be air, and the UNITED STATES PATENTS coolant may bewater. Leaving gas after compression 2,073,833 3/1937 Bothezat will havelower temperature than at compressor entry. 2,729,073 l/l956 Nielsen2,754,660 7/1956 Morrison 62/402 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures GASCOMPRESSOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generallyto devices for compressing air and other gases by employing centrifugalforce to compress said gas, from a lower pressure to a higher pressure.

Various devices for compressing gases using centrifugal force have beenused in the past. In most conventional centrifugal compressors, the gasis compressed by accelerating said gas to a high velocity within arotating impeller, and then discharging said gas to a stationarydiffuser where the gas velocity is reduced with an accompanying increasein gas pressure. These devices generally are inefficient due to highfriction losses and turbulence losses in the rotor passages and in thediffuser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a cross section ofthe compressor, seen from the side, and

FIG. 2 shows an end view of the unit with a section removed to show theinterior construction of the rotor and housing.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS It is an object of this inventionto provide a method and apparatus for compressing gases in a centrifugalmachine wherein the energy required to compress said gas is partiallysupplied from external sources, and partially obtained from the gasbeing compressed, resulting in a compressor for which power input islow. Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a machinewith a simple construction wherein gas velocities are low within themachine thus reducing friction losses.

In FIG. 1, gas enters the machine via entry 16, and passes to rotor 11at entry port 21, and then passes within the said rotor to near theperiphery of said rotor and is being compressed by centrifugal action bysaid rotor, with cooling being provided during compression by coolingcoil'l2. After compression, said gas is returned to center of rotor andleaves rotor atexit l4. Coolant fluid is being supplied via coolantentry 17, and passes to rotor via shaft 19, to distribution conduit 13,and from there to heat exchanger coil 12, and from there back to passagein shaft, and to coolant exit 18. is rotor casing, 22 and 23 are rotorseals, is rotor shaft bearing, 27 is thermal insulation applied to rotordivider 25, 24 is rotor vane to assure that said gas will rotate withsaid rotor, and 15 is a vent opening from space between rotor andhousing, said vent may be connected to a vacuum pump to evacuate saidspace and thus reduce drag on said rotor.

In FIG. 2, an end view of the unit shown in FIG. 1, is illustrated. Asection is removed from the unit to show interior details. 10 is casing,11 is rotor, 13 is coolant supply to heat exchanger 12, 24 is a radialvane within rotor cavity, 16 is inlet for gas, 19 is rotor shaft, 26 isunit base.

In operation, said gaseous fluid enters said rotor, near the axis ofrotation, and is compressed within the rotor cavity by centrifugalaction by said rotor on said gas, said compression being nearlyisothermal, with cooling being supplied during compression by a heatexchanger provided within said rotor cavity. After reaching rotorperiphery, said gaseous fluid is passed on the other side of said rotorback to rotor center; thus, the work require to compress said gaseousfluid on entry side of said rotor, is nearly all recovered on the exitside of said rotor, with vanes placed within rotor cavity assuring thatthe gaseous fluid will rotate with rotor at all times. There is adecrease in gaseous fluid pressure when the fluid passes from the rotorperiphery to rotor exit at center of rotation, but this pressure loss isless than the pressure gain was on the entry side; thence, the unit exitpressure is higher than the unit entry pressure. Thermal insulation isplaced on the rotor dividing wall to prevent heat being added to thecool gaseous fluid at the exit side of the rotor, as shown in FIG. 1,item 27. It should be noted that the gaseous fluid temperature is lowerat unit exit, than at unit entry, and that the temperature of theleaving cooling fluid is higher than the temperature of the enteringcooling fluid.

The rotor cavity is sized to provide for relatively low gaseous fluidvelocities, relative to rotor, typically these velocities in the areanear the periphery are below feet per second. The rotor tangentialvelocities at periphery are high, and may range from 500 feet per secondupwards; these rotor velocities are dependent of the physical propertiesof the fluid being compressed, and the pressure required at rotor exit.

Power from an external source is supplied to rotor shaft 19.

The rotor entry and exit openings may be the same diameter, or they maybe different, as indicated in FIG. 1, or as required for pressuredifferential between rotor entry and exit.

The rotor side walls at rotor exterior may be built closely to rotorcasing so that the space between rotor and wall may be partiallyevacuated by rotating thus reducing drag losses. Also, the space betweenrotor and casing may be evacuated by using a vacuum pump therebyeliminating losses due to friction on rotor outer surface.

There are variety of applications that this device may be used. It canbe used as an air compressor, or to compress gases or various kinds.Also, it can be used as the compressor stage in gas turbines and jetengines; also, it can be used as the basic unit to form a thrustgenerator by attaching a suitable nozzle to the rotor exit opening, sothat the gas is accelerated to high velocity and then discharged.

Control for the unit may be provided by controlling the coolant flow, orby having a control valve either at rotor entry or exit.

Various controls, gages and governors may be used with the device ofthis invention. They do not form a part of this invention and are notfurther described herein.

The heat exchanger is shown in the drawings to be made of finned tubingloops placed within said rotor cavity. There are numerous other heatexchanger arrangements that can be used without departing from thespirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for compressing gases and comprising:

a. a rotor for compressing said gas, rotatably mounted and supported bya shaft and bearing, said rotor having an entry for said gaseous fluidnear center of rotation, said rotor having passages built within to passsaid gaseous fluid from said entry outwardly to rotor periphery and thento an exit near the center of rotation, said gaseous fluid beingcompressed within said rotor by centrifugal action by said rotor on saidgaseous fluid to a higher pressure near the periphery of said rotor, andthen said gaseous fluid being allowed to expand on the exit side of saidrotor, vanes being provided in rotor cavity to assure that said fluidwill rotate with said rotor, said gaseous fluid being cooled by acoolant fluid being supplied to said rotor and being circulated in heatexchange relationship with said gaseous fluid during compression, saidcoolant fluid being supplied to said rotor near axis of rotation andthen being discharged from said rotor near axis of rotation, said rotorbeing rotated and supplied b. a casing to support said rotor and tohouse said ro- 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said casing is sealed tosaid rotor at areas near the center of rotation, and where said casingspace between said casing and said rotor is evacuated by using a vacuumpump to reduce friction losses on said rotor.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said gaseous fluid is air, and saidcoolant fluid is water.

1. A device for compressing gases and comprising: a. a rotor forcompressing said gas, rotatably mounted and supported by a shaft andbearing, said rotor having an entry for said gaseous fluid near centerof rotation, said rotor having passages built within to pass saidgaseous fluid from said entry outwardly to rotor periphery and then toan exit near the center of rotation, said gaseous fluid being compressedwithin said rotor by centrifugal action by said rotor on said gaseousfluid to a higher pressure near the periphery of said rotor, and thensaid gaseous fluid being allowed to expand on the exit side of saidrotor, vanes being provided in rotor cavity to assure that said fluidwill rotate with said rotor, said gaseous fluid being cooled by acoolant fluid being supplied to said rotor and being circulated in heatexchange relationship with said gaseous fluid during compression, saidcoolant fluid being supplied to said rotor near axis of rotation andthen being discharged from said rotor near axis of rotation, said rotorbeing rotateD and supplied with power from an external source, saidgaseous fluid pressure being lower at rotor entry than at rotor exit;said coolant being in separate passages within rotor; b. a casing tosupport said rotor and to house said rotor.
 2. The device of claim 1wherein said casing is sealed to said rotor at areas near the center ofrotation, and where said casing space between said casing and said rotoris evacuated by using a vacuum pump to reduce friction losses on saidrotor.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said gaseous fluid is air, andsaid coolant fluid is water.